# US 10,370,899 B2 · Mud saver valve measurement system and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,370,899 B2 - Document ID: US10370899B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/589,746 - Filed: 2017-05-08 - Published: 2017-11-09 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-05-09 - Assignees: Nabros Drilling Technologies USA, Inc. - Applicants: Nabors Drilling Technologies USA, Inc. - Inventors: Brian Dale Dewald; Doug Christian Greening; Ryan Edward Graham - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10370899B2 ## CPC - E21B 3/022: {Top drives} - E21B 21/106: {Valve arrangements outside the borehole, e.g. kelly valves (valves specifically for maintaining circulation of drilling fluid while connecting or disconnecting tubular joints E21B21/019)} - G01L 5/0061: {Force sensors associated with industrial machines or actuators (for the specific machine or actuator involved see relevant class, e.g. F01, F04, F16, B66, E21)} - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS - G01L: MEASURING FORCE, STRESS, TORQUE, WORK, MECHANICAL POWER, MECHANICAL EFFICIENCY, OR FLUID PRESSURE (weighing G01G) ## Abstract In accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure, a method includes detecting a first parameter indicative of lateral movement of a top drive system with respect to a rotational axis of the top drive system with a first plurality of sensors and detecting a second parameter indicative of lateral movement of the top drive system with respect to the longitudinal axis of the top drive system with a second plurality of sensors. The first parameter is different from the second parameter. The method also includes transmitting the first parameter and the second parameter to a monitoring system and comparing the first parameter to a first threshold value and comparing the second parameter to a second threshold value with the monitoring system. Detecting the first parameter and the second parameter includes detecting lateral movement of a mud saver valve configured to flow mud through a sealed passage. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system, comprising: a top drive; and a top drive movement measurement system, comprising: a mud saver valve configured to flow drilling fluid through a flow path of the mud saver valve, wherein the mud saver valve comprises a valve configured to control the flow of the drilling fluid through the flow path, and wherein the mud saver valve is configured to rotate via input of the top drive; a mud saver valve housing configured to cover at least a portion of the mud saver valve; a first plurality of sensors disposed within the mud saver valve housing, wherein the first plurality of sensors is configured to detect lateral movement of a component of the top drive; a second plurality of sensors disposed within the mud saver valve housing, wherein the second plurality of sensors is configured to detect one or more compression or tension forces on the mud saver valve of the top drive a grabber leg coupled to the top drive; a grabber box coupled to the grabber leg; and a mud saver valve support disposed between the grabber box and the top drive, and coupling the grabber leg to a stationary portion of the mud saver valve housing, wherein a rotational portion of the mud saver valve housing is configured to rotate with the mud saver valve. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of sensors comprises a linear accelerometer and a gyroscope, and wherein the second plurality of sensors comprises a plurality of strain gauges. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the plurality of strain gauges is coupled to an outer circumference of the mud saver valve, and the plurality of strain gauges is spaced equidistantly about the outer circumference of the mud saver valve. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, wherein the plurality of strain gauges is coupled to a narrowed section of the outer circumference of the mud saver valve. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of sensors is coupled to a printed circuit board disposed in the mud saver valve housing, and wherein the mud saver valve housing comprises a battery, wherein the battery is configured to supply power to the first plurality of sensors, the second plurality of sensors, the printed circuit board, or any combination thereof. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the top drive movement measurement system comprises a generator. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the generator comprises: one or more coils disposed within the rotational portion of the mud saver valve housing; and one or more magnets disposed adjacent to the rotational portion of the mud saver valve housing, wherein the one or more coils is configured to interact with the one or more magnets to produce power during rotation of the mud saver valve, and wherein the power is routed to and stored within the battery. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the mud saver valve housing is coupled to the mud saver valve via drop pins, the drop pins are configured to decouple the mud saver valve housing from the mud saver valve, and the mud saver valve is configured to decouple from the mud saver valve housing. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the mud saver valve housing comprises an antenna, wherein the antenna is configured to transmit data collected by the first plurality of sensors, the second plurality of sensors, or both to a monitoring system of the top drive movement measurement system. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the monitoring system comprises: a signal receiver configured to receive the data from the antenna; a processor; and one or more non-transitory, computer-readable media having executable instructions stored thereon, the executable instructions comprising instructions that generate at least one output value representing the data. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the executable instructions comprise instructions that actuate an alert of the monitoring system when the first plurality of sensors detects the lateral movement of the component of the top drive that exceeds a first threshold, the second plurality of sensors detects the compression or the tension forces on the mud saver valve that exceeds a second threshold, or both, wherein the one or more non-transitory, computer-readable media comprises at least one value stored thereon, wherein the at least one value corresponds to the first threshold, the second threshold, or both. ### Claim 12 A method, comprising: detecting a first parameter indicative of movement of a top drive system with respect to a rotational axis of the top drive system with a first plurality of sensors; detecting a second parameter indicative of movement of the top drive system with respect to a longitudinal axis of the top drive system with a second plurality of sensors, wherein the first parameter is different from the second parameter; transmitting the first parameter and the second parameter to a monitoring system; comparing the first parameter to a first threshold value and comparing the second parameter to a second threshold value with the monitoring system, wherein detecting the first parameter and the second parameter comprises detecting movement of a mud saver valve configured to flow mud through a sealed passage, wherein the first plurality of sensors and the second plurality of sensors are coupled to a rotational portion of a mud saver valve housing of the mud saver valve; coupling a grabber leg to a top drive of the top drive system; rotationally fixing a stationary portion of the mud saver valve housing to the grabber leg; disposing one or more coils in the rotational portion of the mud saver valve housing; disposing one or more magnets in the grabber leg, which is rotationally fixed to a stationary portion of the mud saver valve housing; and generating power through interaction of the one or more coils with the one or more magnets when the rotational portion is rotating relative to the stationary portion. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein detecting the first parameter indicative of movement of the top drive system with respect to the rotational axis of the top drive system with the first plurality of sensors comprises detecting a first linear force in a first lateral direction and detecting a second linear force in a second lateral direction, wherein the first lateral direction is perpendicular to the second lateral direction. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein detecting the first linear force in the first lateral direction and detecting the second linear force in the second lateral direction comprises detecting the first and second linear forces with a linear accelerometer or a gyroscope. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein detecting the second parameter indicative of movement of the top drive system with respect to the longitudinal axis of the top drive system with the second plurality of sensors comprises detecting strain on a surface of the mud saver valve of the top drive system with a plurality of strain gauges. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein detecting strain on the surface of the mud saver valve of the top drive system with the plurality of strain gauges comprises detecting strain on a narrowed section of an outer circumference of the mud saver valve of the top drive system. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, comprising: storing the power in a battery, which is disposed in the rotational portion of the mud saver valve housing. ### Claim 18 A top drive movement measurement system, comprising: a mud saver valve; a mud saver valve measurement housing disposed about and coupled to the mud saver valve, the mud saver valve measurement housing comprising a rotational portion and a stationary portion, with the rotational portion configured to rotate with the mud saver valve and configured to rotate relative to the stationary portion; a plurality of sensors coupled to the mud saver valve or the rotational portion of the mud saver valve measurement housing, wherein the plurality of sensors is configured to detect lateral movement, compression, or tension of the mud saver valve of the top drive movement measurement system; and a monitoring system, comprising: a signal receiver configured to receive data from the mud saver valve measurement housing; a processor; and one or more non-transitory, computer-readable media having executable instructions stored thereon, the executable instructions comprising instructions that actuate an alert of the monitoring system when the plurality of sensors detects that the lateral movement exceeds a first threshold, the plurality of sensors detects that the compression or the tension exceeds a second threshold, or both, and wherein the one or more non-transitory, computer-readable media comprises at least one value stored thereon, wherein the at least one value corresponds to the first threshold, the second threshold, or both. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, wherein the plurality of sensors comprises a linear accelerometer, a gyroscope, or both, and a plurality of strain gauges, wherein the plurality of strain gauges is coupled to a narrowed section of an outer circumference of the mud saver valve, and the plurality of strain gauges are disposed equidistantly about the outer circumference of the mud saver valve. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The system of claim 19, wherein the monitoring system comprises a display, and wherein the executable instructions comprise instructions that generate at least one output value representing the data and display the at least one output value on the display.